Solo: A Star Wars Story 'to debut at Cannes Film Festival'

'Solo: A Star Wars Story' is set to debut at the Cannes Film Festival on May 15 ahead of a global premiere 10 days later

'Solo: A Star Wars Story' is to debut at the Cannes Film Festival.

The Ron Howard-directed motion picture - which stars Alden Ehrenreich as a young Han Solo - is set to be featured at the iconic movie event, with sources claiming the project will be screened on May 15.

Insiders told Deadline that following the special Cannes-based screening 'Solo' will hold its global premiere on May 25.

Cannes bosses are yet to confirm whether the sci-fi spin-off will appear at the French film festival, but have announced the Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz-led drama 'Everybody Knows' will be the opening-night film.

As well as Ehrenreich, Woody Harrelson will star in 'Solo' as Tobias Beckett, Emilia Clarke will portray Qi'ra and Donald Glover will play Lando Calrissian.

Phoebe Waller-Bridge will take on the role of L3-37, Lando's droid companion, in the movie and she recently admitted she didn't know much about the 'Star Wars' franchise when she took on her part.

She said: "I wasn't entirely sure what a droid was, and I was just performing it like a human. And they were like, 'Wow, you're really loose with the whole droid idea. Maybe you could just try it again a bit more ... like a droid?' "

The hotly-anticipated motion picture details the early years of intergalactic smuggler - who was played by Harrison Ford in the 'Star Wars' films - before the events of the original trilogy in which the character was first seen.

Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy previously revealed Ford met Ehrenreich to give him some advice on taking on the mantle as the Millennium Falcon pilot.

She said: "It was perfect, classic Harrison. Good kid, good kid. Really good kid. I think being who Harrison is, there is no way he would step into the middle of this and start trying to dictate.

"What [Ford] did so beautifully for Alden was he talked a lot about what he remembered when he first read 'Star Wars', and what George [Lucas] had done with Han.

"Who the character was and the conversations he had for so many years with George about how that character developed.

"He gave Alden that kind of insight which was invaluable. There were several times in the course of making the movie where Alden would actually recount some of the things that Harrison had pointed out.

The origin story of the young Han Solo (Ehrenreich), as he gets out of Corellia, meets Chewbacca (Suotamo) and Lando (Glover) for the first time, and runs into former lover Qi’ra (Clarke). Ehrenreich has just the right easy charm and despite some missteps it’s an enjoyable yarn with fine set-pieces.